When I tell people that my major is Mass Communications, they automatically think that I want to be a news anchor. Then, when I tell them that my concentration is in public relations, some nod their heads as if they know exactly what it is, although I know that they have no clue and others are wise enough to ask me what public relations consists of.

I have known that I wanted to be a publicist since the eighth grade. In high school I participated in the Minority Journalism Program. During the program, I was given my first true definition of public relations: to promote the goodwill of an institution and/or individual. Now that I am in college, my definition of public relations has changed.

Promoting the goodwill of an institution and/or individual is indeed an aspect of public relations. But the job of a public relations practitioner is much more complex. As practitioners, we must cultivate and maintain positive relationships with the media. Otherwise, writing press releases, media kits, backgrounders,etc will all be in vain. In order to succeed in the world of PR, you have to have media contacts. It is your job to reach out to them. Find out who the editor of the newspaper is, his/her email, address, Twitter handle,etc. PR is all about researching, creating a strategy that fits your client and executing the plan.

Many people are misinformed that public relations is an easy job. I BEG TO DIFFER! Doing the research is probably the easiest part, and even that isn’t always smooth. After researching and knowing what outlets you want to target, writing the pitch and taking time out to pitch continuously is the next step in the PR process. (The post on pitching is coming soon!)

Public relations is such an amazing field to be in and I am glad that I chose to be a part of it. I love the work that I do and wouldn’t trade it for the world! But it is not for the faint hearted. You must be aggressive, firm and above all stand out. At times, it will get stressful and perhaps, you may even want to give up. Then, when you see your client on the cover of a magazine or on the news for an interview, it makes it all worth while.

Sending Peace, Love & A  Happy New Year,

PR Girl

P.S Follow me on Twitter, @LynnPRMentality